Top of Materials List: Put Frequently Used Panel and Board Stock First
Move the materials people use most to the top of the list so the proven choice is visible immediately.
- Creator
- Hunter Trim & Cabinets
- Company
- Hunter Trim & Cabinets
- Wastes
Frequently used panel stock and board stock were buried in a jumbled materials list, so users had to search through different groups each time they needed common stock.
The team rearranged the materials list so high-use panel stock, including 3/4 4x8 material, and board stock appear at the top.
Make proven choices visible where people make decisions.
What is a Top of Materials List?
A top of materials list improvement is a simple reorder of a shared material list so the most frequently used items appear first. In this case, panel stock and board stock were moved above lower-use material groups.
The list still contains the same material information, but it now reflects what the team already knows from repeated use. Common stock is no longer hidden inside a jumble.
This is knowledge reuse. The list captures the common answer and makes it easy for the next person to reuse it instead of searching, guessing, or asking someone else.
Why it works
It turns repeated material knowledge into a visible standard that helps people choose the right stock with less confusion.
- Reuses known demand by placing frequently used panel stock and board stock first.
- Adds value by making the common material choice easy to find at the point of use.
- Mistake-proofs selection by reducing the chance that someone overlooks the normal stock or picks from the wrong group.
- Helps new or occasional users benefit from the same material knowledge as experienced users.
Evidence: The speaker said the materials were in different groups, panel stock was hard to find, and the list was a jumble. The improvement was to rearrange the list so those materials were at the top.
How to create this idea
- 1Find common searches
Identify the materials people look for most often. Start with repeated items like panel stock and board stock.
- 2Move high-use items up
Place the most frequently used materials at the top of the list. Put lower-use or specialty items below them.
- 3Keep names familiar
Use the terms people actually say, such as 3/4 4x8 panel stock. Clear names make the list easier to reuse.
- 4Keep related stock together
Group common panel stock and board stock in a way that is easy to scan. Do not bury them inside unrelated material groups.
- 5Review after use
Ask users if they still have to hunt through the list. Reorder again when the most-used materials change.
Best used when
- long material lists
- frequent stock use
- shared lists
- repeat selection
Less useful when
- very short lists
- one time materials
- fully automated selection
- rarely used lists
Products and tools mentioned
- Board stock: Frequently used board material moved near the top of the materials list.
- Panel stock: Common sheet material, including 3/4 4x8 stock, moved to the top of the materials list.
Tags
- Problem
- searchingwaitingconfusion
- Lean methods
- visual managementstandard workknowledge reuse
- Application
- materialsinventorywood shop
Captured from Hunter Trim & Cabinets at Hunter Trim & Cabinets in the video "Lean Improvements 7/31/26", at 00:01:03. On Lean Toolbox. Watch the original video on YouTube ↗
